


Post Season 4 Episode 3: The Final Problem

by Actias



Series: Sherlock Post Season 4 Thoughts [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: A Lot of Death, A lot of Mycroft, Death, Episode 3, Gen, Spoilers, The Final Problem, Umbrella, character backstory, conclusion?, season 4, waaaaaaa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 19:51:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9340646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Actias/pseuds/Actias
Summary: My final blurb of opinion/thoughts on the last episode of this season's Sherlock. As per usual, I have only watched it once so specifics might be a little blurred. SPOILERS SO YOU SHOULD GO AND WATCH IT.





	

What an episode! Here's my list of thoughts:

  1. Why is Mycroft watching a movie? I swear it's adorable how he knows every line. I can't tell if he's actually enjoying the movie or if he just finds it hilarious.
  2. Horror? Fuck yeah! Definitely a Gatiss thing. He must have enjoyed that. I totally rolled my eyes at the sight of the clown. Mycroft looking unnerved was a treat that set the pace for his whole character in this episode. And the sword umbrella! I was wondering if Mycroft would have a gun or a sword hidden there (a gun being more practical but a sword much more his style). So thrilled it turned out to be both.
  3. Mycroft in the client chair! (yes I know, a lot of Mycroft but in all fairness, this whole episode is his doing) We didn't know that he was lying about Redbeard but knowing makes me happy. He still is Mycroft after all. Even if he shows himself to be squeamish, he still has no problem making a _tactical emotional decision_. It's the first time we see Mycroft collaborating which was interesting. He usually gives himself so much power that it's hard to picture him doing "legwork". How the hell was he so fat when he was a child? No wonder Sherlock teased him all the time. I wonder when and how he got his change of heart (fanfic prompt right there)
  4. Kidnapping a boat and breaking into Sherrinford.  _Smooooooth._ Mycroft in a fisherman costume and then fixing himself up afterwards XD. One of the only times we see him raising his voice. I properly don't want Mycroft to get cross at me.
  5. For two seconds I thought Sherlock would get mind controlled by Eurus. That would have made for an entirely different episode.
  6. John noticing that the guys talking to Eurus in the video was the Director puts Mycroft to shame. Too busy being cross I guess.
  7. Goddamit Mycroft. Why did you have to agree for Moriarty to meet with your sister _unsupervised_? Like really. When was that ever going to be a good idea. Christmas presents? How sweet. Using her for your own benefit? How cheap. Couldn't you just figure it out?
  8. May the really freaking creepy room escape begin! I hope someone actually makes a twisted Sherlock themed room escape. Again, Mycroft was so squeamish! I can't believe it. He _must_ have gotten his hands dirty somewhere. Maybe it's the thought or his brother and John watching him, maybe he really doesn't like killing, but still. Super emotion!Mycroft this episode. It's not that he's actually sad for the people who died. It's like he's imagining how much trouble it'll be to clean everything up. That build up before John decided against shooting. Spare me please. And of course Eurus was going to kill the wife.
  9. Deductions with the rifle. Sherlock had no problem condemning the murderer. But then Eurus killed them all anyways. And Mycroft refused to cooperate. And John made a good point of the situation being complicated enough as it is and that they would have to get through it anyways.
  10. Molly. Please, please, please, please, let her be happy. She deserves it for god's sake! Don't break her more than necessary. At the point where Sherlock was breaking the coffin, the episode was getting into a very good rhythm. They chose a good spot for it and the next scene.
  11. Honestly favourite scene of the whole episode. Two lines into Mycroft's speech and I knew that he wanted Sherlock to shoot him instead of John. I absolutely love ice!Mycroft. There's a whole shift in character. He goes from begrudgingly tagging along, to in control, cold and calculating. It's scary to watch and Gatiss acts it out brilliantly (honestly, Gatiss acting emotions cracks me up all the time and I love him). Since Mycroft was so against killing and he seemed exasperated every time someone else died, I didn't expect him to be so calm when deciding that he should be the one to die. I loved it though. "Not in my face, I promised my brain to the royal society."
  12. OH GOD EURUS KILLED THEIR LITTLE BROTHER OUT OF JEALOUSY. OH GOD. NO WONDER MYCROFT HADN'T SAID ANYTHING. 
  13. WAIT... Mycroft obviously remembered Eurus and remembered her killing their little brother, AND THEN SHE BURNED THEIR HOUSE DOWN. AND YET, he thought it was a good idea to talk to her, ask favours and LET HER TALK WITH MORIARTY. Is he actually dumb? Calculated risk. Yes ok I understand that within five minutes there wasn't much that could happen. Hahahahahaha. She takes control over Moriarty and arranges a posthumous game. 
  14. ~~The fourth Holmes brother is called Victor... Really. Mycroft, Eurus, Sherlock and Victor. That's slightly anticlimactic.~~ People have now corrected me. Victor is actually a good family friend. Which to be honest, doesn't make the whole thing any better. Also, why would they not call the police or send a rescue team. IDK I feel like there isn't just one way of finding a lost child.
  15. Yay! Lestrade concluded the loop between this episode and the first with "(Sherlock's) a good man". Also when Sherlock asked Lestrade to take care of his brother I swear all the Mystrade fans went batshit crazy.
  16. Family reunion in a jail cell. Sounds about right.
  17. I think this whole adventure completes Sherlock and Mycroft as brothers. They've now been in harm's way together, seen the best and the worst, fought, sacrificed, resolved trauma. They're ready to stand side by side for each other. Of course, they'll still disagree but it'll probably be the continuation of a ritual rather than 'old scores and resentment'.



All in all, did I like the episode? Yes. Was it my favourite? No. I think this episode would have made a great second one while the second would have made a great third (of course you would have to tweak things a bit because of obvious character development). One thing I loved about Sherlock was the guaranteed cliffhanger at the end of episode 3. Even if it's a painful affair, it's like a tradition. (Oh I wonder what the cliffhanger will be this time). So I'm slightly sad that they did a cliffhanger last episode and not this one. Giving a conclusion makes me wonder about season 5 and that's also slightly sad. Like someone I know said, it felt like the conclusion of the first chapter. I would have to agree though I don't know if we'll get to see the next.

There are holes after this season, like any Sherlock season tends to be. The pearl case from episode 1, a whole past of Sherlock and Mycroft that we have yet to discover and relationships that have no conclusion. Life, however, is never as straight forwards as we would like it to be. Things never are as soundly as concluded.

As for Mycroft, he is human. He makes mistakes like everyone else does. This episode proves it. He is much more than a mask of ice. He lived while hiding harmful knowledge from Sherlock, he gets scared about things that he doesn't understand, he doesn't like death even if it is inevitable. He is a person. I think a lot of shows forget that. If there's one thing that Sherlock (the tv show) does well, is fleshing out characters as people/human beings. 

Thanks for reading! I'm surprised at how many hits I got for this. As ever, comment bellow and tell me what you thought of the episode.

To The Best Of Times.

-Alex


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